“Polyimide, as specified, right?”
“Yes, a heku can still break out, but if we run electrodes along the outside, he’ll get shocked if he touches the walls,” Kyle explained, and squatted down to look inside.
Chevalier turned toward the door, “Bring my doppelganger in here.”
Less than a minute later, Chevalier’s look-alike was brought in by two prison guards.
Chevalier smiled menacingly, “Get him in the water.”
“What!?” he screamed, and fought against the two guards. After a struggle, they were able to get him into the clear box and chained the top shut.
Chevalier sat down as Kyle knelt beside it and they watched the heku inside. First he was calmly looking around, but as his air began to run out, he started to panic and thrash about. Chevalier focused in on his eyes, his panic filled eyes were shocked and terrified. The minutes passed and the two heku watched the suffering prisoner without making a sound. His frantic movements were hurried and no longer cohesive.
“Interesting,” Kyle said, and stood up.
“It’s a good addition,” Chevalier said, still watching the heku’s eyes.
The doppelganger fell silent inside of the water tank after a few minutes without air, but healed quickly and again began to thrash around.
“Didn’t see that coming,” Kyle chuckled.
Chevalier grinned, “This’ll be even better if they heal and then drown again and again.”
Starting to panic, the mythical creature slammed his fists into the thick walls of the water tank and electricity filled the tank. He jerked suddenly and fell silent.
Chevalier and Kyle both looked over when the door to the interrogation chamber opened. Zohn and Quinn walked in and bent slightly to look inside of the water tank.
“How’s it going?” Quinn asked, then leaned back against the wall.
“Pretty interesting actually,” Kyle told him. “He keeps healing and then the torture resumes, all without us having to lift a finger.”
“That’s pretty… well… impressive,” Zohn said, studying the thrashing doppelganger.
“We actually came because we heard a report from the Cavalry,” Quinn said as he watched the tank.
“Ok.” Chevalier finally turned to Quinn.
“They just said they’ve had no luck so far. There’s not one sign of her or the kids.”
“I figured.”
“She’s not going to make it easy,” Kyle told them as he stood up and sat down on the rack. “I have no doubt that she could disappear indefinitely.”
“We have the advantage of Alexis now though,” Quinn said, keep in thought.
“She’s not going to go against Emily’s wishes.”
“Still, if we can just convince her of how important it is to let us know.”
“I still don’t think she will tell us.”
Zohn stood up and turned to them, “Maybe we can convince her to see Allen again and he could get more information.”
“It took her almost a year to see him the first time,” Chevalier said. “We’ll try, but I’m guessing she won’t let him come back this soon.”
While the Equites weren’t paying attention to the doppelganger, he again slammed his fists into the side of the water tank and the entire prison fell into darkness as the fuse blew. Within seconds, a backup generator kicked on and the emergency lights came on.
Chevalier grinned and turned toward the tank. The doppelganger was floating limply, “Nice.”
“Any problems?” Kyle called toward the door.
“No, Sir,” the guard reported back.
Quinn laughed, “Seems your new toy will need its own power source.”
“Well worth it,” Chevalier said. He knelt down beside the tank when the doppelganger healed enough and began to move again. The horrified creature looked out at the heku and silently screamed.
Chapter 11 - Search
“Ok, next ranch is in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, just outside of Winnfield,” Mark explained to the Cavalry. “This ranch had 3 injured mustangs delivered, but the delivery driver saw no one but field hands that day.”
“We’re on number 28, right?” Kralen asked.
“Yes,” Silas sighed. “He’s going to kill us if we can’t find her.”
Mark cleared his throat, “It’s been 4 months that we’ve had this list, but we’re almost done.”
“Yeah, and the last list panned out pretty well for us,” one of the Cavalry said.
“Just listen,” Kralen growled.
Mark continued, “Same as last time… stick to the trees until we find out what’s going on. If we don’t see anyone, then Clark will illusion and head in as a wolf. That’s brought most mortals out with a gun and given us a good view.”
One of the Powans nodded, “Will do.”
The Suburbans stopped in Winnfield, Louisiana, and the heku got out. Mark, Silas, Kralen, and fifteen of the Cavalry stood and looked around the Louisiana hillside.
“Silas, lead us in,” Mark said, and they all blurred behind him. When the white fences of Coventry Equestrian Ranch came into view, the heku slowed and moved off into the trees. It was still two hours until dusk, and they needed to keep their view.
“I hate that smell,” one of the Cavalry said, and covered his nose against the scent of barbecuing meat.
“This should be easy if they’re outside then,” Mark said. “The smoke is around behind that main house. Let’s go look.”
The heku stealthily moved through the trees until they saw the backyard, where five men were barbecuing. One stood in front of the grill while the other four sat at the table. Three of them were drinking beer while the other visited with them.
Mark sighed. There was no sign of Emily, Alexis, or Dain, and the men were talking football, which didn’t help them at all.
The General motioned for Kralen to move to the house, to see if he could catch Emily’s scent, and he slowly crouched down and moved from tree to tree, slowly edging closer to the building.
“Stop,” Mark whispered when one of the men stood up from the table. He was taller than the rest, standing just over six feet, and was muscular with large shoulders and long black hair that was tied into a low ponytail.
The man they were watching tilted his head up slightly, and the heku gasped when he inhaled and then turned to face them. They were able to duck back behind the trees to avoid his gaze. Kralen froze. He was away from the others, and had seen the large man turn to face the trees where the heku were hiding. The man’s hands balled into tight fists and he stared intently toward them.
“Sit down, Bull, no reason to puff all up,” one of the others said, and chuckled before he finished his beer. He stood up and walked over to a cooler to get another one. On his way back to the picnic table, he hit the man on the shoulder, “Sit down.”
The man nodded, but the heku could hear him inhale again before turning around to sit with the others. Kralen took a deep breath and continued moving toward the house.
“Move back,” Mark whispered, and then he stopped when the man turned around from the picnic table again and looked toward the trees.
“Shit! She’s coming,” the man barbecuing yelled. The men began to quickly pack up their beer and food, and hid it in the cooler, which one man threw into the trees where it landed a few feet ahead of Silas.
“Get! Get!” he yelled, and ushered the men out of the backyard. The heku watched as four of the men ran off toward the barn. The fifth man was still watching the trees, his breathing was slow and controlled and he scanned the area carefully.
Mark gasped when Emily appeared from the front of the house and walked over to the large man.
“Hello, Baby,” she said, and hugged him.
Dain didn’t look at her, “I smell something.”
She looked toward the trees, “Like what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is it them?”
“No, it’s different.”
&nb
sp; Emily took a step toward the trees and the heku were able to get a better look at her. Other than being thin and pale, with a cast on her left forearm, she looked good to them. They also noticed that, as Allen mentioned, she carried a .45 on one hip and a Taser in the other.
“Go inside then,” Emily said, and then she turned when Dain didn’t move. “Dain! Get inside.”
“No, I don’t know that smell and I’m not leaving you alone out here,” he growled. Now that they knew who he was, the heku saw the similarities between him and the Elder. His pitch black hair and dark ominous eyes were now familiar to them. They didn’t move, too afraid to even breathe as Emily again looked over at the trees they were hiding behind.
Emily turned around and took Dain’s hand, “Let’s go inside, ok? I’m sure it’s nothing.”
Dain nodded, “Ok, Mom.”
“Ma’am,” the barbecuing man said, and walked up to the backyard.
Emily turned to him, “What?”
“That mustang’s leg looks worse. It’s swelling up again.”
She glared at him, “If you all weren’t out here taking a vacation, then you’d have caught that before it got worse!”
“It was… I’m… sorry, Ma’am. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damned right it won’t happen again! You don’t barbecue on my time, is that understood?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he said, and lowered his eyes.
“Get that leg fixed, now!”
The man turned and ran off, obviously terrified of the small woman.
Kralen slowly moved behind a wood pile beside the house. He had to wait until both Emily and Dain turned their attention to the field hand, so that his movement wasn’t detected.
Emily smiled up at Dain, “Come on, let’s go inside.”
Dain nodded and followed her into the house.
“Team 4, go get the Elder,” Mark whispered. “Everyone else hang tight until I decide what to do.”
Four of the heku moved quickly out of the area.
“Can you hear inside?” Mark asked Kralen.
Kralen nodded.
“What’s going on?”
“They’re getting ready to go out,” Kralen whispered.
“Who is in there?”
“I hear all three of them.”
“Surround the house. I’m going in before they leave,” Mark said, and then smiled slightly. “I hope the Elder brings Kyle.”
Kralen grinned and watched the front door as Mark approached. He took a deep breath, and then knocked.
“I’ll get it,” Alexis yelled from inside. She opened the door and her eyes grew wide, “Mom!”
Alexis ran from the door and Mark stepped inside the large log cabin that served as the main house for the ranch. He saw that Alexis had grown a few inches and looked even more like Emily, though she would now be a couple inches taller than her Mom. Her black hair was cropped short and she still had Chevalier’s dark, angry eyes.
“Why are you screaming, Alex?” Emily asked as she wiped her hands on a towel. Mark’s heart skipped in his chest as she turned around to face him and froze.
Dain appeared behind her and looked at Mark. He crouched instinctively and hissed.
“Dain, get back in the kitchen,” Emily whispered.
“I’m not leaving you alone with him,” Dain growled. The child heku stood over a foot taller than his Mom and his massive form looked threatening behind her.
Mark put his hands out, “I’m not here to hurt you. I just want to talk.”
“Dain, I said to get back,” Emily growled. Dain glared at Mark, and then slowly moved into the kitchen. “Is he coming?”
Mark nodded, “Yes.”
“Alexis!” Emily yelled.
The 14-year-old ran up to her Mom and watched Mark closely, “Yeah?”
“Keep your eye on him, if he moves… even an inch, turn him to ash,” Emily said, and looked over at her daughter.
Alexis nodded, “Ok.”
Mark grinned slightly, “I wish you’d listen to me.”
Emily looked up at him, “One move…”
“I won’t,” he promised.
She disappeared up the stairs and he could hear fast movement.
“What’s going on?” a man asked as he walked up behind Alexis. He looked over at Mark and smiled, “Can I help you with something?”
“No, I’m just a friend of Emily’s,” Mark told him.
“Oh, well, nice to meet you,” he said, and walked up, holding his hand out.
Mark shook his hand and looked him over. He would be no match for any heku, standing just under five foot ten with a lanky build.
“I’m Tucker, and you are?”
“Mark,” the heku said, and stayed where he was standing.
“Where’s your Mom, Alex?” Tucker asked, and turned toward Alexis.
“Upstairs,” she told him, though her eyes never left Mark.
Tucker went upstairs and Mark could hear him and Emily speaking.
“Are you leaving?” Tucker asked.
“Yes, I quit. The kids and I are leaving immediately,” Emily said, and Mark sighed.
“What? Why?”
“We just are.”
“Because of that guy downstairs?”
“Yes,” Emily told him. She came down the stairs with one large suitcase. Tucker had two more in his hands.
“Em…” Mark whispered, but Emily looked up at him angrily and he stopped talking.
“Dain!” Emily yelled.
“Yeah, Mom?” he asked, and came out of the kitchen.
“Get my truck. Put these in it and bring it around front.”
Dain nodded and picked up all three suitcases at once. He disappeared out the front doors and Mark noticed that he knew to keep a mortal’s pace in front of Tucker. Mark heard the Cavalry restrain Dain and pull him deeper into the woods, though he knew neither Emily, nor Tucker, could hear it.
“Don’t leave, Emily,” Tucker said, and Mark noticed the way he looked at her, and how his heart began to beat faster at the thought she was leaving.
“No choice, Tucker, I have to go,” she said, and went into the kitchen.
Mark started after them, but Alexis whispered, “Don’t make me do it, Mark. I like you.”
“Listen to me, Alex,” Mark whispered. He knew that Alexis’ hearing was more capable of hearing him than Emily’s, and dropped his voice so only she could hear. “Your Dad didn’t do those things to your Mom. He didn’t kick her out, and he’s been frantically looking for you for over a year.”
Alexis continued to stare at him and whispered back, too softly for Emily’s mortal ears, “She doesn’t want him.”
“The ring is still on her finger, so she still loves him.”
“It doesn’t matter what she feels. I know she loves him. I get to hear her crying over him every night. However, she doesn’t want him back.”
“He didn’t do those things.”
“She’s never been the same. She’s unhappy, moody, and miserable. Seeing Dad again will only make that worse.”
“No it won’t. Not if she’ll listen and understand that it wasn’t the Elder that insulted her and kicked her out of the palace.”
“I know,” Alexis whispered.
“Then help us convince her.”
“No, she trusts me and Dain. If we lose that trust, then she’ll send us back to Council City and she’ll be alone.”
Mark sighed and looked up when Emily walked into the hallway, “Where is Dain?”
“I don’t know, Mom,” Alexis told her, though Mark was fairly certain she knew.
Emily whistled, “Devia!”
Mark watched as a Border collie ran into the hallway, wagging his tail as he looked up anxiously at Emily.
“Go get in the truck,” she ordered, and the dog ran past Mark and out the door.
“Em, please, talk to me,” Mark said softly.
“There’s nothing you can say that’ll stop this.”
; “You know that through all of that, the Cavalry was behind you.”
She stopped and turned toward him, “I know.”
“So talk to us.”
“Us?” she gasped, and looked out the window, “How many heku are out there?”
She took a step back when Kralen walked in behind Mark, “You owe me, Emily.”
“I owe you nothing. I held my side of the bargain, until I was thrown out on my ass.”
He cringed slightly, “All we ask is that you listen to us.”
“How much of the Cavalry is out there?”
“What Cavalry?” Tucker asked as he walked into the hallway. He looked out the window and grinned, “I’d like to see the Cavalry, but you’re a long ways from any military bases around here.”
Emily sighed, “Tucker, I need you to go back out to your bunkhouse.”
“And leave you alone with these guys? No way,” Tucker said, and turned toward the heku. He crossed his arms and looked at them.
“We won’t hurt her,” Kralen said to him.
“Don’t matter. I’m not leaving.”
Emily sighed, “Alex, go find out why Dain hasn’t brought my truck.”
Alexis nodded and left, moving around Mark and Kralen carefully.
Mark grinned slightly when he heard Silas, “Shhhh, Lexi, it’s me.”
“Silas? Uncover my eyes. What are you doing?” Alexis whispered.
“I can’t uncover your eyes, just trust me,” Silas said, and Mark heard him move back into the trees with her.
“Tucker, I’m not kidding. Get your ass out of here!” Emily yelled at him.
Tucker faced her, “Are these guys the reason you are always checking over your shoulder? The reason you are afraid to answer the phone or the door?”
“No,” Emily said softly.
“Are they the reason you won’t date anyone? The reason you don’t trust a soul?”
“Go, Tucker,” she told him again.
“Damnit, Emily, stop it… I don’t care how big your gun is, or how mean your Taser looks. You’re barely 5-foot tall and weigh nuthin’. You can’t keep acting like you’re tough,” Tucker said, frustrated. “You don’t even have both arms right now.”
Mark watched Tucker carefully.
Emily glared at him, “Unless you want to find yourself out of a job, I suggest you get your ass out of my house!”
Eternity of Vengeance : Book 7 of the Heku Series Page 27